Once the blood draw was finished, Hufer, the family physician, hurriedly fed the blood to Orcus Hill and had no time to entertain Sang. The latter said nothing more, merely mentioning that he would wander around on his own.
Having several hundred CCs of blood drawn had little impact on him.
And so, Sang left the original room and strolled alone through the vast, opulent mansion. Along the way, he casually asked a servant and learned the location of Snow Hill’s room. He headed there.
Just as he reached the door, Sang heard the voices of the two sisters conversing inside.
Snow Hill asked, “I saw some strange things outside earlier… Did something happen in Wembuni while I was away?”
Thea Hill replied, “Big Sister, the werewolves are gathering… Soon, war will break out in the Northern Region.”
In fact…
On the journey from Central to the Northern Region, Sang had already heard some details about the werewolves from Aisha Hodhua and Snow Hill. The werewolves had once been unified but splintered into nomadic tribes after the Wolf King fell into slumber. Their numbers were even scarcer than those of the Blood Race. Though their superpowers were mediocre, they possessed innately powerful bodies. On full moon nights, their strength reached its peak.
As for why the Wolf King had fallen asleep?
It was said that many years ago, he had been defeated by the first Family Head of the Hill Family.
More importantly, the werewolves were a race with faith—not in gods, but in divine beasts: the ancient titans.
After the Wolf King entered slumber, the werewolves fragmented into tribes. Now that the Wolf King had awakened, those former powers were gradually regrouping. Their goal was to destroy the Hill Family, who guarded the seal, and liberate the ancient titans from their imprisonment.
Thea Hill continued, “It’s not just the werewolves gathering for war. Some human forces are stirring in the shadows too… I reached out to the other three great families for aid, but it yielded little. I didn’t get much response.”
In her words, the youthful, lively girl with short light-blue hair finally revealed her true feelings—some hesitation and helplessness.
Unlike her powerful older brother and sister, Thea Hill lacked the strength to stand on her own. That was why she felt so anxious about these matters.
Hearing this, Sang felt deflated too. The other three great families were probably hoping the Hills would drop dead. They’d sent assassins along the road to delay them, buying time until Orcus Hill succumbed to his illness. Why would they offer help?
However…
The next moment, a cool and resolute voice emerged from the room. Snow Hill remained as calm as ever—bordering on indifferent. “It’s fine. No need to worry. I’ll handle everything.”
Her words were light as drifting clouds, yet they carried an undeniable force and determination.
Sang was truly coming to understand this woman more and more. She never spoke of the hardships they’d faced on the road or the murmurs of gossip he’d overheard in town. Even knowing the other families’ schemes, she wouldn’t burden her little sister with them, lest it affect her mood. She shouldered it all alone, facing everything head-on.
As for Sang’s thoughts at that moment—did he want to step forward and help Snow Hill?
Regrettably, no.
For one thing, he was a mole for the Hunting Organization. Though he’d refused to participate in this mission, he’d promised Liyou not to interfere. How could he switch sides? Just donating his blood might already have offended the organization. For another, he lacked the power to help Snow Hill. This was a war between a ducal family and the entire werewolf race—what could a mere silver lad like him do?
At that moment, the young man simply wanted to savor the four months of freedom in the outside world, to be a mere observer, quietly watching events unfold.
Yet, for some reason, an inexplicable unease stirred in his heart…
While Sang was eavesdropping on the sisters’ conversation, Aisha Hodhua suddenly popped out from behind, cradling the Little Chicken. She asked, “Watermelon, what are you doing standing here?”
To avoid worrying the Pink-Haired Little Lolita, Sang switched to a lazy smile the instant he turned around, like a chameleon changing colors. “Nothing much. Just wandering around… What about you?”
Sang didn’t want Aisha Hodhua to know about the dire situation in the Northern Region. They were both outsiders and didn’t need to bear these burdens. If things got truly bad, he’d take the Pink-Haired Little Lolita and leave early.
Besides, the Pink-Haired Little Lolita hadn’t seen the outside world in decades. Sang just wanted her to play carefree for a while, untroubled by other matters.
“Me? I’m wandering too… The Northern Region really is beautiful. Even in spring, whether inside the mansion or out in the world, it’s all endless ice and drifting snow for miles.”
At her words, Sang stepped over to the window at the corridor’s edge and glanced outside. Oh… It really had started snowing. A vast white world—truly a sight from another realm, breathtaking in its harsh beauty.
Unfortunately, war was about to engulf this beautiful land.
“Pink-Haired Little Lolita, is this your first time seeing snow?”
“Mm-hmm, not exactly. I saw it once as a kid… maybe a few decades ago.”
“Let’s go play outside. I’ll make a snowman with you…” Sang didn’t want to dwell on those troubles. He changed the subject.
“Er… If you really want to build a snowman that badly, I suppose I could accompany you.” Her eyes sparkled at the suggestion, but she feigned aloofness—a classic tsundere act.
Sang, having lived two lifetimes, was a shrewd judge of character. Aisha Hodhua was an open book. His mood was middling, so he had no inclination to tease her. He went along with it. “Yeah, thanks for keeping me company while I build one.”
Afterward, the two left the mansion and arrived in the front courtyard. The vast courtyard held only one kind of tree that could survive the harsh winter—similar to ginkgos from his original world. Now, it stood stark and barren, silent, with icicles dangling from its branches like ancient stalactites.
Besides that, there was one flower: blue-white roses, so seamlessly blended with the icy landscape that they were hard to spot without close inspection.
Sang suddenly remembered their conversation in the greenhouse garden at Heavenly Key’s Earthly Pavilion. He’d asked Snow Hill if she liked flowers, and she hadn’t answered directly, only saying that the Northern Region had just one kind.
It turned out to be these.
In his original world, building a snowman might have been just that. But this was another world. Sang flexed his muscles fully, piling all the nearby snow into a small hill. Then he drew his Knight’s Sword—Dawn—and unleashed the swordsmanship he’d learned from Snow Hill during their journey, slashing wildly.
This was no longer mere snowman-building; it was ice sculpture artistry.
And so, a Gundam—Virtue—materialized!!!
Aisha Hodhua and the Little Chicken stared in awe, the two little ones utterly dumbfounded. They had no idea what this humanoid figure was, but it was spectacular and cool beyond words. They couldn’t help but clap enthusiastically.
Stunned speechless.
